Letter 'by the hand of an amanuensis' to the poet and biblical scholar the Rev. Henry Alford (1810-1871).

Three pages, 12mo. Very good: lightly aged and with the merest glue spot to blank verso of second leaf of bifolium. Mackay's 'signature' appears to be in the same hand as the rest of the letter. He has had a 'severe attack of inflammation of the eye', and this has prevented him from reading or writing during the previous week. For the same reason he is replying to Alford's letter of 1 March through an amanuensis. Three weeks previously Mackay 'received a packet from Mr. Fields of Boston [James Fields of the publishing house of Ticknor & Fields] inclosing several copies of the American reprint of my shorter poems & one copy of the reprint of yours.' Mackay had assumed that this was 'intentional on the part of Mr. Fields & that possibly he had included one of mine in your packet'. As Alford is probably 'anxious to see the book as soon as possible' Mackay is taking 'the shortest method' and posting it in an open cover. 'You need not take the trouble to return the Copy of mine which lies for you at Messrs. Rivingtons. Pray accept it with my respectful compliments.' In a postscript he explains that, as he is not sure that 'an American reprint will enjoy the privileges of the English Post Office', he has left the book for Alford at Rivington's.